How To Visualize the Oil Spill With Google Maps

A new Google Maps mashup makes it easy to overlay your town with the spreading oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

The application, created by Paul Rademacher, one of the guys behind Google Maps, allows you to type in any city and see the scope of the oil spill in comparison. The results are pretty astonishing. Type in a city like Chicago, for example, and you’ll see the spill would cover most of the city, its suburbs, part of Lake Michigan, and into Indiana and Michigan.

The April 20 explosion has already led more than 23,000 workers and businesses along the Gulf Coast file claims against BP, who says they’re working rapidly to reduce the size of the spill. (via CNN)